Door closing control unit



Dec. 3, 194()o 1 L. WESTCAM'F DOOR CLOSING CONTROL UNIT Filed March 1 3,1959 o, un Os.

INVENTOFJ.

Patented Dec. 3, 1940 UNITED STATES Doon oLosINo CONTROL UNIT Leslie L.Westcamp, Elk Creek, Calif. Application March 13, 1939, Serial'No.261,511

` claims. (C1. 29e- 71) .d l

This invention relates general -to a `uni-tary device adapted to be`mounted on a `door frame and arranged to control the closing of thedoor the invention being directed in particular to an improvement in-that type of door closing control unit which includes a substantiallycrescentshaped, pivoted arm assembly having resilient door-engagingbumpers on each end thereof and actuated by a snap-action spring. l l

j() The principal object of the invention is to provide a door closingcontrol unit of the type described which includes novel means to absorbthe shock of, Vor check, closing vmovement of a door and to thereaftertightly close the' .door

l5 without a noticeable slam and to yie-ldably 4hold the door in suchposition. 1

A further object of the invention is toproduce `a simple and inexpensivedevice and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposefor which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relativearrangement Aof parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the followinl specification and claims. i

In the drawing similar characters of reference Figure 3 isa top planview showing the unit in position vyieldably holding the 4door closed.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the floating v frame detached from thedevice. l

Referring now more particularly to the `charactors `oi reference on thedrawing, the door closing control unit comprises a horizontal main frame`l adapted to be mounted on a door `frame F adjacent the-door D; thisframe `I comprising vertically spaced horizontal side plates 2, andintegral back plate 3 and securing Aflanges 4 on the inner edges of saidside plates. As is obvious, the frameis open vadjacent the door and atthe outer end. The frame I` is `mounted on the door frame F va shortr4distance laterally away from the edge adjacentthe door wherebyv theintervening :surface of the doorwframe provides a roller bumper stop 5as wll.-hereinafter appear.

A floating frame indicated generally at 6 ris mounted within the mainframe and comprises, in integral relation, aback plate 'l disposed infaoe-to-face relation with plate 3 of frame l, vertically spaced andalined side arms 8 dis- 5 posed horizontally and extending parallel tothe door frame in ace-to-face rengagement with side plates 2 of frame I,and a cross plate 9 extending between the outer edges of Yside arms 8;the cross plate 9 being turned inwardy short of 10 the free ends of arms8 -to form a spring anchor nger Ill. -The back plate 1 of the `floatingframe 6 is `slotted lengthwise, as at Il, and` rides on and is guided bya headed pin l2 undercut as shown and `fixed on back plate 3 of frame l5l; the undercut portion of `said pin being engaged in slot Il inrelatively slidable relation.

A vertical cross pin I3 extends between the outer ends 'of arms 8 andthrough holes I4` therein; l the projecting ends of the pin beingslidably dis- 2O posed in slots i5 cut in side plates 2 parallel to backplate 3 of frame -I.

Apair of substantially crescent-shaped arms i5 are -`disposed vinvertically spaced relation and are pivoted intermediate `their ends on-pin |13 25 and between arms 8; this pivotal axisbeing disposed closertothe inner ends of said crescent arms than toi-the outer ends. Thesecrescent arms |-6 have a relatively small rollerbumper l1journaledjbetween their outer ends on pin I8 30 and -a lrelatively largeroller bumper t9 journaled between their inner ends on pin 20; said arms'beingpositioned with their concave edges adjacent the door', and beingVheld in xed relation by theseveral cross pins vwhich extend therel35between. The roller bumpers are resilient and are preferably made ofrubber.

rfi-snap` action tension spring 2| is formed with a hook 122 atone'endwhich is engaged with anchor linger Il) on the sliding frame, while a`hook 40 23 onthe otherkend of the spring engages ,a cross pinMconnecting the crescent A.arms I6 adjacent but spaced from roller Il.Between hook 22 and `the spring proper, there LS a portion ,25 l

which is curved `as shown and in a manner. to 45 clear `pin L3`regardless of the position `of the crescentgarrns I5. The pivotedstructure, including `said ,arms IB y and thecroller bumpers carriedthereby, may be `termed the roller bumperass'embly. yAs, .is apparent,`the spring 2| is vmounted inposition to eiectasnap `action ofthe`roller bumper assembly 4to alternate positions: the :normal positienheilig .Shawlin Fig. 3 and wherein the roller I1 undergthevsprins 55vtension yieldably engages the door with al closing force.

Upon opening movement of the door, roller I'I is moved outward rotatingthe roller bumper assembly about pin I3 as an axis. With such movementthe spring passes its dead centerwhich is pin I3-and when this occursthe assembly snaps to the cocked position and with roller I'I clear ofthe path of the door, as shown in Fig. l; the line of force of suchspring when the assembly is so cocked being indicated by broken lineA-A. The edge 26 of cross plate 9, yformed by bending down spring anchorlinger I0, provides a stop to limit further movement of the rollerbumper assembly beyond proper' cocked position.

When the roller bumper assembly `is cocked as above by initial openingmovement 'of 'the door,

. of the door (Fig. l).l It is to be noted that the floating frame ispositioned as far outward as possible, that is, pin I2 is engaged in theinner end of slot vII and pin I3 in the outer end of slots I5 when theroller bumper assembly is in normal door holding position, or is cocked.

As the door swings toward closed position, it engages roller bumper I9,immediately moving the oating frame inward as far as possible,las shownin Fig. 2. At the same time, the impact yof the door on said bumperArotates the roller bumper assembly in a direction moving the rollerbumper inward and laterally toward and into engagement with the doorframe at 5 as the distance between pin I3 and the door frame is thenless than the distance between said pin and the door-engaging surface ofthe roller I9. This rotation of the roller bumper assembly to the pointwhere roller bumper I 9 engages the door frame has shifted the line offorce of the spring, indicated by broken line B-B past dead centerposition and the spring actson the 4roller bumper assembly in adirection to returnl the same to normal position.

However, this does not immediately occur as roller vI9 urged by thespring and-by the closing door has abuttedV against door frame portion 5as above described. The motion of the door is then arrested or checkedand the shock absorbed by roller I9, the rebound of the door and of theroller releasing the roller from between the door and door frame portion5. The spring then snaps 'the assembly to.v normal position and withroller I'I striking and tightly but yieldably vclosing the door. Thisoccurs forthe reason that as the roller I9 releases from the door anddoor frame and begins its return to normal position, the outward forceacting on the roller bumper assembly, and arising from the inclinedplane effect of the outer surface of the door frame with respect to theroller bumper I9 and pivot pin I3, causesthe floating frame to movetoward its outwardand normal position. The roller bumper IS and theadjacent portions of its supporting outer `surface'of the vdoor for itstight but yieldable closing.

The above described unit functions smoothly, quietly and yet eflicientlyto check and close a door; the structure of the unit being simplified aswell as sufliciently rugged and durable to assure long life withoutnecessity of repair or adjustment.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I haveproduced such a device as substantially fullls the objects of theinvention as set forth herein.

While this specication sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as dened by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a door closing control unit, a support adapted to be mounted on adoor frame, a snap' action bumperassembly including an arm having` abumper on one end thereof, a pivot for the arm, said arm being arrangedfor swinging movement from a position with the bumper in the path of thedoor to a position clear thereof and spaced in front of the door frame,and means mounting said arm pivot in connection with the support forlimited inward and outward movement relative to the door frame; the armbetween said pivot and the said bumper being of such length that whenthe pivot is in innermostA position and the arm swings inward, thebumper engages the door frame whereby to momentarily check inward motionof the bumper and following door.

2. A unit as in claim l, inv which said last named means comprises afloating frame mounted on the support for inward and outward movementrelative thereto; the arm pivot being mounted in connection withsaid-floating frame.

3. In a door closing control unit, a support adapted to be mounted on adoor frame, a floating frame carried by said support and arranged forlimited inward and outward movement relative to the door frame, a snapaction bumper assembly including an arm having a bumper on one endthereof,l and means pivoting the arm on the floating `frame for inwardlswinging movement from a position with the bumper inthe path `of thedoor to a position clear thereof and spaced in front of the door frame;the armbetween its pivotal axis and the saidv bumper being of suchklength that when the'iloating frame is in innermostposition andthe armswings inward,

the bumper engages the door'frame whereby to.

momentarily check inward `motion ofthe bumper and following door;

4. A device as in-claim 3 in which` the support includes a pair of,spaced sides extending out from the door frame, and a connecting backplate, and in which the oatingframe comprises a back plate having alongitudinal slot therein and disposed in face-to-face engagement-withthe inner surf-ace of the `support back plate, a pin fixed on the latterand engaging in said slot, side arms formed with the back plateV of thefloating` frame and projecting toward the door; said means comprising apivot pin extending between the' arms and therebeyond ,at both ends, thesides ofthe support having elongated slots therethrough parallel totheback plates, theV pin at its ends engagingfin` said slotsin sldablerelation thereto.

5. In a door closing control unit, a main frame adapted to be mounted ona door frame, a floating frame carried by the main frame and arrangedfor limited inward and outward movement, said oating frame including apair of spaced arms projecting toward the door and a cross plateextending between and connecting said arms, a snap action bumperassembly including a pair of substantially crescent shaped arms having aroller bumper secured between the arms at each end, `means pivoting theassembly'intermediate its ends between-the arms of the iioating frameand for swinging movebetween its pivot-al axis and said one bumper 5being of such length that when the oatingframe is in innermost positionand upon such movement of the bumper, the latter engages the door framewhereby to momentarily check such motion of the bumper andiollowingdoor.

LESLIE L. WESTCAMP.

